CARM Newsletter 06-24-04

June 24, 2004

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ROAD TRIP: My wife and I got back from our trip up through the Northwest. We were looking for a place to move to and we think we've found it: Boise, Idaho. I drove up and my wife flew up. She met a real estate lady on the plane who then took us around Boise the following Monday. It was great. We found the home we wanted and it is affordable. Now I just need a job there so we can move. Hopefully, we can then afford to buy a home and be one step closer to full time with CARM.

By the way, we found homes for under 150K that were 1800 sq. ft. in the Boise, Idaho area! They were brand new, too, and had an upstairs bonus room that is plenty big enough for a CARM office! My wife and I are psyched and ready to go! Please pray for us and this situation. We want to go and are praying that the Lord will open the doors. If He doesn't, well.... praise God! His will be done.

Also, many of you responded with emails about places to check out, possible jobs, and even offered to have us stay with you. Of course, I could not answer all your emails, but I want to say thank you to each of you who responded.

NEED A JOB:

Anyone know of a job opening in the Boise area? I am proficient in Desk Side support in the IT field. If you'd like more details, just email me at [email protected] and I'll give you a link to my resume. Even though I'm close to going full time in CARM, I need a computer related job in the Boise area in order to first qualify for a home loan. Then, when CARM is able, I can go fulltime.

ONLINE SCHOOL: The online school of Christian theology is continuing to do very well. Its success is encouraging me to work on the apologetics online school which is now one third done. I am currently writing the evolution section and it will contain new information not found on the CARM website. If you are interested in signing up for it after it is released, great. But, I honestly and seriously recommend that you first learn your Christian theology. In all my apologetics endeavors over the past 24 years, I've found that my knowledge of Christian doctrine has been essential. Likewise, so is yours. Some of the issues addressed in the online school of theology are such things as the Trinity, the deity of Christ, the Holy Spirit, the atonement, inspiration, resurrection, the return of Christ, the millennium, the Final Judgment, creation, man's nature, free will, original sin, covenants, the Law, salvation, scripture memorization, the gifts, the church, baptism, communion, the devil, tradition, and much more. If you want to learn good basic theology without having to go to seminary or read a 7 pound theology book, then the online school of Christian theology is for you.

Also, if you're interested in Christian Apologetics, you really need to have a good foundation in Christian Theology. That is why I produced that school first. Without a good foundation, you cannot build a strong house.

By signing up you can support CARM and also learn good Christian theology. If you're interested, then check out http://www.carm.org/online.htm. The tuition is $50 and you can sign up at http://carm.1plan.net/login.php. Also, you can use Paypal. Instructions are found here.

FULL TIME: Please pray concerning me going full time with CARM. We have people who are eagerly supporting CARM because they value what it presents on the Web. I am very close to going full time. Remember, the plans for CARM are to provide many many more free research projects, Sunday School Lessons, MP3 lessons, etc. It is valuable and very needed in this anti-Christian world.

GOT APOLOGETICS? Don't wait until someone you love is caught in a cult, adopting atheism, or leaning towards some false belief system. Study now. Learn your faith so you can give answers. This is what CARM is for.

Your Mind: The Bible sees the mind as that place of contemplation, judgment, and intention. Our minds allow us to be rational, to weigh evidence, to make decisions about right and wrong, options, etc. Our minds allow us to worship, praise God, pray, love, repent, and trust. In this we are made in God's image with the mental capacities not shared by any animal on the planet.

How many thoughts pass through our minds every day? It must be thousands. We constantly think and contemplate. If we multiply this by the number of years we live, then we undoubtedly produce millions and millions of thoughts. Furthermore, if we realize that we are to give account to God for all our words, then we are quickly sobered. Jesus said, "For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it should come to light," (Mark 4:33). All we can do is humbly lay ourselves before God and be grateful for God's grace to us. Because of Christ's sacrifice He will not remember our sins either of deed or of thought (Heb. 10:17). Thank you Lord and may you be praised for your kindness.

Knowing that we are cleansed in Christ, we can then set our minds on godly things. "Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God," (Col. 3:2-3). Notice what Paul says. He says that because we have died with Christ (trusted in Christ and been counted in Him on the cross), that we are to set our minds on the things above, not the things on earth. Paul is not saying we can't think about our mortgage, food prices, family, etc. He is stating that our minds need to be focused on God, on living the Word, on presenting Christ to the lost, on God's glory, etc. We are not our own. We belong to the one who has purchased us with His blood, (Acts 20:28) and indwelt by God Himself (John 14:23). Our minds are to be taken into the service of godliness. Our thoughts are to be holy.

Again, praise be to God for His grace to us in revealing to us what our minds are to focus on: "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things," (Phil. 4:8). Within the confines of our daily lives, are we guiding our thoughts to dwell on what is pure, lovely, good, excellent, and worthy of praise?

The more you read God's word and the more you humble yourself in prayer, the more you are able to set your minds on the things that are above. You cannot be godly in your mind apart from the strength of God's presence. This is why you must seek God and be close to Him in fellowship (1 Cor. 1:9). In His presence, your mind is changed and your heart is moved. As Moses' face shined with the glory of God after leaving His Almighty presence, so too will your mind shine with the glory of God as you spend time in devotion to the Lord. Let your mind dwell on God's mercy, goodness, love, kindness, grace, provision, and faithfulness. Memorize scriptures that deal with God's holiness and purity. Wash yourself with the Word. Spend time in prayer with God and seek His will and guidance. He desires to be with you (Ex. 25:8).

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect," (Rom. 12:2).

Memorization Verse 2 Cor. 10:5, "We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,"

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SUPPORT We need your support. If you think CARM is a worthwhile ministry, please seriously consider supporting it financially and prayerfully as we move closer to full time status. CARM is a ministry to the Internet that affects thousands of people in the real world. If you want to be a part of supporting this missionary work that please prayerfully consider donations. All donations are tax deductible. (If the buttons below did not work, please go to http://www.CARM.org/goods/donations.htm). If you do contribute, could you please email me at [email protected] and let me know? Thanks and God bless.

Or, you make any amount donation you want with

-------------------------------------------------------------- In Him,

Rev. Matt Slick, your missionary to the Internet. Equipping the church to defend the faith in a secular society.

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